The legal regulations, which are continuously becoming stricter on CO2 emission toward lower and lower emission values, are to be taken into consideration in the development of future vehicle generations. This is achievable, inter alia, by a more and more extensive weight reduction of the motor vehicles. Weight can be reduced, for example, in that the dimensions of a motor vehicle are reduced. In particular the front overhang of a motor vehicle can offer potential for a reduction of the weight.
The future vehicle generations must simultaneously meet the legal requirements for pedestrian protection. Against this background, the test and evaluation methods according to EURONCAP must particularly be met.
In particular, the front area of a motor vehicle, which can come into contact with the upper leg area of a pedestrian, must permit specific deformation paths. The deformation paths decrease the loads on the upper thighs of a pedestrian and thus reduce his risk of injury.
Lock crossbeams, on which the locks are fastened, are installed in the front area of the motor vehicle. The hood locks hold the engine hood closed or release it to fold open.
Two hood lock systems are currently used in automotive engineering. A first system has a hood lock having a locking pin. Upon closing of the engine hood, the locking pin plunges into a cylindrical part of a reinforcement plate welded onto the lock crossbeam. The locking pin is locked in a groove applied to the locking pin by a horizontally arranged locking spring. To open the engine hood, the locking spring is withdrawn from the groove via a Bowden cable. The engine hood is raised via a compression spring, which is arranged around the locking pin and above the lock crossbeam, and can be opened. However, in this first system, the locking spring and the reinforcement plate require a relatively large installation space in the vehicle longitudinal direction.
In a further system, a hood lock is engaged with a lock bow of the engine hood. Upon closing of the engine hood, a rotary latch is rotated over a defined pivot point by the lock bow and secured against unintentional opening by a spring-loaded part. The spring-loaded part is connected to a Bowden cable, which disengages the spring-loaded part from the rotary latch and releases the lock bow to open the engine hood. In this system, however, the hood lock used is installed by means of a “double L-shaped” lock case in front of the lock crossbeam. Valuable installation space in the vehicle longitudinal direction is occupied in this way.
There is therefore a demand for an arrangement made of a lock crossbeam and a hood lock, which displays the least possible extension in the vehicle longitudinal direction. On the one hand, this is to allow a deformation space to be provided in the area of the hood lock for pedestrian protection. On the other hand, this is to allow the dimensions of a motor vehicle, in particular its front overhang, to be reduced. In addition, other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.